River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-01-27
Some Observations on the beauties and
Realisms of the Gettysburg
Spectacular Panorama.

some ObeerhAllOnA oh the Beaullca anu
Realisms of the Gettysburg
Spectacular Panorama.
st. Paul Dispatch: Although hundreds Of
citizens of St Paul and strangers visit the
great Gettysburg panorama at the corner OF
Sixth and st. Peter streets every day, there
are thousands more who have not yet
realized the splendid attractions of this
matches spectacular exhibition. They
pass it by as an uneXciting sort of show
good, but not eNhilarating. On the con-
trary there is no theater in all the country
where so exciting a tragedy holds the
boards.
On the wonderful canvas of the Gettys-
burg picture is portrayed one of the realities
of history. What are sham griefs and
mock tears compared to the reality of that
fierce onslaught which fixed the nations
destiny, turned the babbling brooks TO
blood, and planted the crimson flower OF
death broadcast along its wooded hills The
griefs of the fOOtlight world are soon for
gotten, but the griefs that sprang TO life
from Gettysburg field shall never find
assuagement within thousands of stricken
hearts until the peace of eternal years en-
folds them.
The picture represents the decisive action
Of July 3, 1853. IL was painted by artists
wh0 thoroughly posted themselves as to the
location of troops, the landscape and other
details Of the fight as II actually took place.
BY such care they were enabled TO reproduce
the maaeuyerS of that dreadful day, SO
that, looking upon the work, we can
not realize that we are gazing only upon
mechanical effects. The area of the picture
Is 20O00 square feet. The wonderful blend
iug OF effects in the foreground SO deceives
tiss eye that one can not separate the real
from the unreal.
Entering the unique building in which the
painting Is on exhibition, through a dark
passage, you grOpe your way, until the as
cent of an unlighted stairway ushers YOU
suddenly into a new region. You have left
the streets Of st. Paul behind You and PEN
etrated one of Pennsylvania 5 lOyeliest val
leys. About you lie wooded hills that belt
with living green a stretch of fields and
meadows. An old rail fence zigzags across
the foreground. The illusion Is perfect as
your eye takes in the swarming blue-coats
and the upSpringlng uniforms of grey con-
fronting them.
Taking our standpoint at the exact CEN
ter Of the scene of action, you soon lose
thought OF all the world but the exciting
sweep Of events about you. The horses &C.
tually seem TO be alive; their wild eyes full
OF splendid courage and dauntless desire.
Rosa BOnheur never painted better
scene of animal life in action. Every
muscle sEdlQH Oul llEc hHADCpEu+ An0EE
eopse to the south of a central standpoint
the r-t0-be-fOrgotten charge Of General
Pickett and his desperate men Is III progress
"a charge which proved the tide-water
mark of the rebellion, from which 1t slowly
ebbed to its close You can almost hear the
sharp whistle OF bullets and the unceasing
roar of batteries, as the carnage IS at its
height. From the pale lips of wounded men
you seem TO catch the pitiful cry - their
agony: and the last shudder which con-
- ha faat Df the dead va
to haunt the air.
All about You look where you will, bravo
boys are falling thick as leaves IN an au-
tumn storm. Up from the meadows re-
Enforcement of gray coats, l9,OO strong, IS
trampling the poisoning grasses under
foot Each man is as thoroughly IA
earnest as men are sure to be, when some
fatal lnement unlooses the bulldog passions
in their souls. Their front is like the crest OF
an angry sea. Take your glass and look
closely at this magnificent charge. Under
the strongest glass, the most distant human
figures mot larger than cOckrOaches on the
sctuai canvass stand out clear, distinct, ar
tistic and life-size, thus vastly charging the
scope of vision.
Through the very thickest of the battle a
magnificent horse is flying, riderleSs His
gallant master lies somewhere IN the red
storm of death, but he with head erect and
strained blood shot eye, is seeking safety, he
kugys not where. Away from the tangle OF
white faces, and pale outreaching hands;
away from the scream OF bursting shalls,
away from the wars turmoil to the peace
of the hills the frightened horse, they tell
US. found his way at last to safety and an
houored old age. The event was an actual
occurrence of that day of horror.
Perhaps the feature which appeals most
strongly 70 local beholders is the vivid por
travail of the historic charge of trs gallant
old First Minnesota regiment. This reg
iment is truthfully and graphically por-
traved rushing haroicallY 10 the flaming
front under the leadership OF the brave
Col Colvill, who was desperately wounded
in this battle, and vet survives, manned and
distigured, an honOred citizen OF Ked wing
The colonel and large number OF the men
of the old First are painted from photo
graphs and the hkenesses are readily recog-
1ized The battle flag of the Twenty eighth
Virginia regiment, which led the charge OK
PicEett's division, and is correctly painted
in its place in the picture, lies IN the fore
ground. 1t was captured toy Marshall Sher-
man, of st Paul, a member OF the First
Minnesota, and by him loaned to the piano.
rama company.
nnent-an eternal mOmentl-of the struggle
that waged so fierce!y for threS long sum
mer DAYS But il strikes that one moment
so sharply, il holds it forth so grandiy, and
fmmOrtaiizes il so completely that, TO see
the picture is to the thoughtful soul full
revelation of direful yet glorious epoch
of history. Never imagine for single mo-
ment that the Gettysburg panorama VIII
bore YOU, or that il ranks with the ordinary
nanoramic visit to tame lands and scriptur-
III nIaces This wonderful painting is as
mike the average panorama as spice differs
from, marble dust, or champagne from
tepid tea.